RE: Avery v. Salatin is online

Webb, Kevin (WebbK@missouri.edu)
Mon, 9 Aug 1999 19:16:38 -0500

It seems the curse to anyone trying to explain sustainability is that they
are forced to try and explain it within the understanding/world view that
sustainability is seeking to supplant; I never know where to start when
talking to someone who is new to the subject. Sustainability does not lend
itself to sound bites or bar graphs, nor should it try in my opinion. Yet in
a society seemingly ruled by the information age we are most often forced to
do just that.

I'm afraid that Jane and John Q. Public might have found Avery more
convincing, at least in reading he seemed more polished than Salatin to me;
maybe I'm just being cynical in thinking that people are more swayed by
sweet talking. Considering Avery seemed to deliberately misquote the Soil
and Water Conservation Society of America, I find myself tempted to see him
as some shadowy figure wrapped up in a grand conspiracy to destroy
organic/sustainable ag. I definitely question his motives even more than
before.

Still the question to me remains: how do we as members of the sustainable ag
community educate the public at large in a way that is complete yet concise?
(Not to mention non-judgemental yet inspirational, informed but open to
input, etc.)We must make the issue real to people who think little or
nothing about agriculture in their daily lives.

Kevin Webb
Food Circles Networking Project
Department of Rural Sociology
University of Missouri-Columbia
105 Sociology
Columbia, MO 65211
(573) 882-3776
[573] 882=1473 (fax)
webbk@missouri.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Hook [mailto:guldann@ix.netcom.com]
Sent: Sunday, August 08, 1999 8:18 AM
To: sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu
Subject: Re: Avery v. Salatin is online

Thank-you to all involved for getting this on the web. I know my
procrastinating personality would never have aloud me to send away for the
pages :). I enjoyed reading it. I understand the host's comments that he
didn't even get to ask but a few of his questions. My question to the
group, what did you think? What do you think John and Jane Q. Public would
have thought. Frankly I thought it was mostly neutral with maybe Salatin
sounding more knowledgeable. He really farms Avery spewed facts. Group?
Beth

To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command
"unsubscribe sanet-mg". If you receive the digest format, use the command
"unsubscribe sanet-mg-digest".
To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command
"subscribe sanet-mg-digest".

All messages to sanet-mg are archived at:
http://www.sare.org/htdocs/hypermail

To Unsubscribe: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command
"unsubscribe sanet-mg". If you receive the digest format, use the command
"unsubscribe sanet-mg-digest".
To Subscribe to Digest: Email majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu with the command
"subscribe sanet-mg-digest".

All messages to sanet-mg are archived at:
http://www.sare.org/htdocs/hypermail